| Here is the third and last part of our series on fitness | | | | shrink if you stop lifting weights. If you become fat |
| myths that can affect your exercise routine. The | | | | after that, it's probably because you're overeating. |
| next time you hear them, ignore them if you're | | | | "We think this myth started because so many |
| serious about keeping fit and losing weight. | | | | former football stars gain weight later in life. Basically, |
| 'Women who exercise will develop bulging muscles.' | | | | they eat too much and don't get enough exercise. If |
| Some women are afraid of exercising since they're | | | | for some reason, you do stop lifting weights, your |
| afraid it will make them look like the Amazon queen | | | | muscles will just shrink," said Suzanne Schlosberg and |
| or a wrestler. You'll probably become one only if you | | | | Liza Neporent in "Fitness for Dummies." |
| spend hours in a gym lifting heavy weights. Others | | | | 'Women who exercise will have trouble delivering |
| do this by taking steroids that are dangerous. | | | | babies.' |
| However, most women won't end up that way since | | | | Years ago, you won't find pregnant women at the |
| they don't have the genetic potential for big muscles | | | | gym or health club. Doctors then treated pregnancy |
| or enough testosterone that promotes muscle | | | | as a disease and they were afraid that exercise |
| growth. That's found primarily in men. | | | | would lead to birth defects or encourage a |
| "Both men and women have male hormones and | | | | miscarriage. |
| female hormones, but men have more testosterone, | | | | Today, it's a different ballgame. More and more |
| the male hormone that encourages muscle growth, | | | | women are going to the gym. And if you happen to |
| while women have more estrogen, which inhibits the | | | | be pregnant, the right exercise can be good for your |
| growth of thick ropy muscles. A woman who has a | | | | baby and will make childbirth easy. |
| typical pear-shaped feminine body with narrow | | | | "Not only is moderate exercise safe for your baby, |
| shoulders and broad hips will never develop muscles | | | | but it's also been shown to have tremendous |
| as bulgy as a man no matter how much she | | | | benefits for mom. Compared to unfit pregnant |
| exercises. Even a well-muscled female body builder is | | | | women, regular exercisers tend to have fewer aches |
| always smoother and more compact than her male | | | | and pains, more self-esteem, and more energy and |
| counterpart," said Carol Ann Rinzler in "Feed a Cold, | | | | stamina, especially in the third trimester. Regular |
| Starve a Fever: A Dictionary of Medical Folklore." | | | | exercisers also have more confidence - and perhaps |
| 'If you stop exercising, your muscles will turn to fat.' | | | | strength - during labor, and they seem to tolerate |
| Fat and muscles are two different things. One won't | | | | the pain better," revealed Schlosberg and Neporent. |
| turn into the other. What happens is that muscles | | | | |